Honeymoon in India. Ch. I – Trial by fire

In March 2016 my wife Meredith and I took our six week honeymoon trip to India and the Philippines.  Both places had been on our list for a lifetime, and no better time to try then with some wedding money.  It was a wonderful time full of thrills, chills, and spills.  Our first major challenge we faced together was before we even left.  New regulations made our visas unavailable and we had to go from Boston to the Indian embassy in Manhattan for two days, and then back to Boston to fly out.  We where understandably upset, and didn’t even have much for winter cloths with us and very little money for spending on hotels and food in NYC. Still we never took it out on each other, and being together made everything that much brighter.

When we finally did leave the States, our first destination was Goa, a sun drenched stretch of tourist beaches along the West coast of the country and bathed in the Arabian Sea.  Only 24 hours after taking off from Boston we where there.  There wasn’t one thing I saw on the entire trip that wasn’t photo worthy for one reason or another, so I have tried my best to find the most expressive ones.  I only wish I could have made a documentary

Before leaving Boston I walked around the strip mall parking lot next to our hotel, the only attraction around. This pile of mangled shopping carts and plowed snow seamed as strange as anything we’d find abroad

And suddenly there we where. New Your City, Time Square, looking around for a Walgreens to get a passport photo to attach to our Visa paperwork. We took the last two uncomfortable seats in a Mega Bus and booked at no frills hotel room, with a shared bathroom down the hall.

Folks back then where all feeling the burn. It burns different now, but I remember when optimism was still possible politics

When you’re unexpectedly in NY on a tight budget it’s all about the street carts

Lamb gyro on a little coal hibachi grill. I’m impressed, and I wish I could run everything in the truck like that

We figured it would certainly be our last chance to get a pizza, and any corner shop in NYC will usually beat the best in most towns

The modern airport in Mumbai is an interesting welcome. I have to and it to them, they don’t spare on employees, and the folks we asked led us right along in plain enough english

We arrived in the dark, so the first thing I saw out the window when I woke up at 5 AM was this small canoe fishing. It was very relaxing to see

Out rigged fishing boats, built the same way for untold hundreds of years. A central dugout canoe body with planks lashed to that with plant fibers. Why change a classic

Our little cottage, via AirB&B, was big enough for a whole Indian family, grandmothers, children and all.

A typical kitchen for India, even a nice one. Lovely tile sink and a gas hot plate, while many neighbors still use wood. Drinking water is out of the jug, not the tap

I didn’t know what to expect of India’s beach, but it was like the Jersey Shore, possibly cleaner. Luckly our streatch of beach was less crowded, and it was th off season anyhow. The air was hot, and the water bath warm. Like many beaches, you can sit at the loungers set out if you keep buying drinks, so no problem there

Our go to cabana for drinks and food during the day. Sand floors, good prices, nice view, and friendly service.

Goa Beer. The label indicates they surly have us tourists figured out

Around sundown the lounge chairs come up and the dinner tables are set out. Little restaurants line the beach with tourist friendly names like Sunset Grill, and Casa Del Sol. Names from a tourist magazine left in a room.

Tubs of fresh fish are set out in front of restaurant stalls and wood grills are lit beside them. Beautiful fish, but I wish I could have cooked it myself, as my shrimp where overdone

The food in India is amazing, and especial if you can get fresh fish. Getting food poisoning in India is par for the course, and I liken it to throwing up after eating peyote. In the end it’s worth it for the tip. Honestly, the only time people have a problem is when they eat the “Western” or “International” menu. Indian cooks take on dishes like hamburgers and pizza that they have probably had once in their life. We got it from some shady ice on anther part of the trip. In general there is nothing to fear, and you are far better off eating then not

Crab curry with a whole crab in it. I devoured this with both hands, and went swimming after to clean off

Cows are know to be everywhere in India, and this level of free range is appalling to Westerners, even Texans. To me, cows look pretty regal on the beach, like they where enjoying a vacation too.

The cows are big scamps, like a huge dog, and they’ll pick through tourist bags looking for goodies. This family, who we deduced where Israeli, fended off a lazy low speed cow attack with a bottle of water

India’s stray dog populations was a cause for concern in our research, and I was ready to fend off packs of rabid dogs with a sharp stick. What we found was like a dream, a landscape of friendly mutts living their own parallel life to the people there. They play and wrastle, and bark at passing cows, or just lay in the shade under your beach chair. One night we woke up around 3 AM to the sound of no less than 30 dogs howling and barking into the night. We just lay there and laughed.

A friendly old boy with a tail of dreadlocks. We named him Grover. He quietly begs for something good, but won’t touch the rice and naan you toss over. He’s holding out for a lobster tail too

This dog swam out to a distant rock for some thinking time. “Who is a good boy?”

It’s easy to make friends for sure.

A short walk away from our cove is Palolem Beach, a more touristy strip of cabanas and shops. In this photo I like the two children on the right, sitting on top of a bolder. I’m pretty sure the rock is their baby sitter, can get down, can’t wander off. I know what folks think, and yes it would be irresponsible to leave American children like that, they would die for sure

India’s Seaside Heights New Jersey

Rescue Squad

A phenomena of traveling in India that we had heard of are the requests by locals to take a picture with you. It’s true, and families will line you in their photos like they payed 10 Rupees to see you behind a curtain. Imagine what racist thoughts would abound if someone saw a black guy on the streets in the States and wanted a picture. Didn’t bother me, people are too uptight

Little shops outlining the beach

My favorite place was a bar and kitchen next door to our house and under a thatched roof gazebo. Great for relaxing breakfasts and evening drinks

My morning coffee in the proper mug. How did they know? I suppose it’s because the same staff from the night before sleeps in the restaurant all night and serves you in the morning. It makes me feel bad to yawn, like I pansy

~ by fireandknives on February 13, 2017.